𝐀𝐓𝐋𝐀𝐒, WRITING TIPS

* . ʷʳⁱᵗⁱⁿᵍ ᵗᵒˣⁱᶜ & ᵃᵇᵘˢⁱᵛᵉ ʳᵉˡᵃᵗⁱᵒⁿˢʰⁱᵖˢ .

༉˚*ೃ 𝐖𝐑𝐈𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐓𝐎𝐗𝐈𝐂 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐀𝐁𝐔𝐒𝐈𝐕𝐄 𝐑𝐄𝐋𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐒𝐇𝐈𝐏𝐒.

( tw. abuse, toxic relationships and domestic violence. very brief mention of suicide, mental illnesses and eating disorders . )

this is for when writing toxic romantic relationships is intentional, and made to be portrayed in a negative light, in the situation of an abusive ex or an abusive current partner. this is not to be romanticised, where the love interest does these things. there will be a follow-up chapter to this for how to avoid creating romanticised toxic relationships, which is unfortunately the case in a lot of romance stories (in particular, wattpad fics written by younger writers) as in teen fiction the line between "bad boys" and abusers has become pretty blurry. for now, this chapter is tips for how to accurately portray the negative effects of toxic/abusive relationships and the red flags that the abusive partner will portray. 

this is one of those subjects that needs to have a lot of research put into it if you're going to write about it. it's very touchy and should never be romanticised. research people's first-hand accounts and find examples of different cases to learn how abusers can manipulate and control the victims. abuse can range from mild verbal abuse (which is still terrible and can leave the victim with lasting psychological damage) to very violent physical abuse. no abuser or victim is the same.

this chapter will mainly be defining abusive relationships, different kinds of abuse, red flags and signs, trauma, etc, so that you can shape your stories surrounding abuse in a realistic and respectful way. i'll not be talking a lot about how to write you stories, rather just stating real facts that will help you. this chapter will refer to mainly abuse in romantic relationships, but does translate over to familial and authorative relationships with the signs, abuse, etc.

when giving dot-point examples, i'll be writing in terms of "you" bc it's easier to explain the scenarios. "you" is referring to the victim and "they" is referring to the abuser.

TYPES AND SIGNS OF AN ABUSIVE RELATIONSHIP.   →    *   .     &

firstly, not all abuse is physical. it can be a factor, but many cases of abuse are verbal, mental and manipulative. it can seem invisible to outsiders. abusers can be of any gender, and can occur in both heterosexual and lgbt+ relationships. there is no certain box for an abuser; abusers can be anybody, as can the victim.